Note from the Editor: The following post was written by Douglas Harper and first appeared on his site The Sciolist on February 12, 2001. I am reprinting it (with the author’s permission) because I think it’s smart and addresses a number of issues I think about all the time. I don’t agree with everything he writes here. For example, I think the issue of “acculturation” is more nuanced than Harper expresses in this article. But still, Harper gives us a lot to chew on. This essay is well worth your …